This invention relates generally to hot tub or spa water treatment, and more particularly to time related control of such treatment.
Prior spa controls operate to circulate water, to heat water and to filter the water. A spa user manually activates the spa control or controls, turning it on for use and then turning it off.
Spas typically operate thermostatically, in the sense that the temperature is xe2x80x9csetxe2x80x9d and the spa operates to maintain that temperature. The spa user can xe2x80x9csetxe2x80x9d a filter cycle i.e. pre-programmed times or times when the spa will operate in order to filter the water. This allows the water to be circulated and run through the equipment""s filtration apparatus, so that the water is filtered or xe2x80x9cturned overxe2x80x9d, meaning that all water is run through the filter. This helps to keep the water clean, prevents algae formation and circulates whatever sanitizer is being employed, to kill bacteria in the tub.
At the present time, all three of these functions operate independently of each other. The spa runs to maintain temperature, the spa owner can use the spa as he pleases, and the filter cycles turn on automatically at their pre-programmed or pre-set times. If the spa or tub should run for 1 hour a day to keep the water clean, the filter cycles are set for one hour per day in order to keep the water clean and clear. Dependent on the outside ambient temperature, the spa could satisfactorily operate for no time in the hot summer, or for 24 hours a day in the winter, to maintain temperature. The filter operates during such heating cycles, because the filter is connected to the main pump and heater.
There is need to provide for more efficient spa or tub operation, for example to reduce consumption of power needed to operate pumps, and without compromising efficient water filtering or sanitizing, or water heating.
It is a major object of the invention to provide apparatus and methods of operation which will meet the above, as well as other needs, as will appear. Basically, the invention concerns a novel combination of steps of operation, employing timed control of spa water pumping, water filtering and/or water sanitizing.
The invention recognizes and concerns, for example, the following type situation:
If the spa only needs to run for 1 hour to keep the water clean and filtered, any operation over the 1 hour is not necessary to keep the water clean. If a tub runs for 2 hours to maintain the water set temperature, certain pre-set or pre-programmed filter cycles are not necessary, and are a waste of energy. The present invention enables a comparison of the total run time of the spa in between filter cycles with a selected parameter such as a desired filter cycle. If, in a 12 hour period between filter cycles, the tub does not run for a heat call, the filter cycle will run as it should. If the tub runs in order to maintain heat, the amount of time the tub has run is compared to the desired filter cycle, and a portion of the filter cycle is eliminated if sufficient filtering has occurred during heating. Accordingly, the tub operation will not waste energy to filter and clean the water, if the spa already has run for enough time to keep the water clean. These concepts are applicable to an enclosed body of water that is filtered and either heated, sanitized, run for therapy or display, with the filtration equipment connected to the pump being run. Examples are spas, hot tubs, pools, ponds, fountains, etc.
The program that determines the required filtration time of the tub varies with the size of the tub, usage, number of jets, size of filter, sanitizer being used, etc. and can be set or selected as by trial and error or calculated by comparison methods, knowing the desired objectives. Additionally, whether the filter cycle is completely turned off or calculated to the actual difference in time between the programmed filter time and the actual amount of time the tub ran (i.e. 60 minutes desired filter cyclexe2x88x9245 minutes heating=15 minutes left) is of lesser consequence. The concepts of comparing and contrasting these operations or actions in order to increase energy efficiency, reduce unnecessary wear on equipment, extend the life of the filter and seal, and numerous other benefits are of importance to the invention.
Accordingly, it is a major object of the invention to provide a method of controlling the operation of a spa water treating system, where such treating is selected from the group:
i) water filtration
ii) water sanitizing
iii) water heating
and that includes the steps
a) determining a desired water treating time interval as a function of timing of spa water prior treating interval, or usage,
b) and treating the spa water for that determined time interval.
Such treating may comprise water filtration, sanitizing, or heating, or combinations of these. Also, the timing of spa water prior treating interval is the time duration of such treating.
Yet another object is to provide a method of reducing pump water energy requirement, in a spa water circulation system, wherein the water pump is programmed to operate during timewise spaced cyclic intervals A1 and A2 to effect water filtration by a filter during such intervals, and wherein a water heater is operable for a time interval B to heat the water being circulated and filtered and in response to a drop in spa water temperature, the steps that include
a) determining said intervals A1, A2, and B1 and
b) reducing or eliminating said cyclic interval A2 as a function of duration of said time interval B.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: